The Indian Panorama

Month: November 2022

  • Rakhi Sawant, Sherlyn Chopra file police complaints against each other

    Bollywood celebrities Rakhi Sawant and Sherlyn Chopra have filed FIRs against each other for using objectionable language, according to the police on Wednesday. The Mumbai Police said that upon the complaint of Chopra, an FIR was registered against Rakhi Sawant and advocate Falguni Brahmbhatt. “FIR registered against actress Rakhi Sawant & adv Falguni Brahmbhatt under multiple sections of IPC & IT Act on the complaint of an actress. The complainant alleges that the 2 showed an objectionable video of her during a press conference and used objectionable language,” Mumbai Police said.

    On the other hand, Rakhi Sawant filed a case against actor Sherlyn Chopra at Mumbai’s Oshiwara police station. Rakhi Sawant said, Sherlyn in her video accused her of changing boyfriends. Rakhi told the police that Sherlyn Chopra had uploaded a video on YouTube and Instagram on November 6, 2022, in which Sherlyn had made objectionable remarks against her and used abusive language. The Oshiwara police started the further investigation by registering a case under sections 500, 504, 506 and 509 of the IPC. Earlier this month, in the latest development in Sherlyn Chopra and Rakhi Sawant’s ongoing controversy, the former shared a tweet saying nudity is not equal to consent.Taking to the microblogging site Sherlyn wrote in Hindi, “Hamari ladai yaun shoshan/yaun shoshan krne waalon ke khilaaf hai. Nyay ki guhar lagaane ka hmaara samvaidhanik (constitutional) haq (right) hai. Ye haq humse koi nahi cheen sakta hai. Ye baat hamaare aaropiyon ki behnein sun lein aur samajh lein. Nudity is not equal to consent. Vastraheen hona razamandi nahi.”

    Source: ANI

  • Indian-origin Jasmeet Bains becomes first Sikh woman to be elected to California Assembly

    Indian-origin Jasmeet Bains becomes first Sikh woman to be elected to California Assembly

    BAKERSFIELD, CA (TIP): Jasmeet Kaur Bains, a family physician from Bakersfield, made history by becoming the first Indian-origin Sikh woman to be elected to the California Assembly.

    In a Democrat vs Democrat race for the 35th Assembly District in Kern County, Bains took an early lead over her opponent Leticia Perez.

    According to the Kern County Election Results website, Bains led the race on Wednesday with 10,827 votes, or 58.9 per cent — while Perez trailed significantly with 7,555 votes, or 41.1 per cent.

    Bains is a medical director at Bakersfield Recovery Services, a non-profit that treats adults suffering from addiction.

    In her campaign pitch, she said she would prioritize healthcare, homelessness, water infrastructure and air quality.

    Bains watched election returns with nearly 100 family members, friends and supporters at Tony’s Firehouse Grill and Pizza, a restaurant in the northern Kern County city of Delano, where she grew up.

    “It’s an exciting night… I’m encouraged by the early returns and couldn’t be more grateful for the support we’ve received across Kern County,” she wrote in a text message to the media.

    “I love being a doctor,” Bains said, explaining why the decision to enter the Assembly contest was not an easy decision.

    “If I want to be the physician that I always dreamed of being, I need to make sure that we have the correct legislation in place,” she told the media. The 35th Assembly district stretches from Arvin to Delano and includes much of East Bakersfield.

    The daughter of immigrant parents from India, Bains watched her father build a business, starting as an auto mechanic and ultimately owning successful car dealerships. After college, Jasmeet worked with her father before pursuing her career in medicine.

    When the pandemic hit, Bains was on the frontlines, establishing field hospital sites to treat Covid patients. She has also spearheaded landmark mental health and addiction treatment programs. She was awarded the 2019 Hero of Family Medicine by the California Academy of Family Physicians, and the 2021 Beautiful Bakersfield Award from the Greater Bakersfield Chamber of Commerce.

     

  • Indian American professor Pavithra Prabhakar receives Amazon Research Award to study evolving machine learning systems

    Indian American professor Pavithra Prabhakar receives Amazon Research Award to study evolving machine learning systems

    KANSAS (TIP): An Indian American professor of computer science at a US university has received an Amazon Research Award to design a tool that minimizes negative user experiences. Pavithra Prabhakar, who is the Peggy and Gary Edwards chair in engineering, was one of 74 recipients of the awards from Amazon, which also includes an unrestricted gift, access to more than 300 Amazon public datasets, and Amazon Web Services’ artificial intelligence and machine learning services and tools, the Kansas State University said in a statement. Prabhakar currently serves as a program director at the National Science Foundation while on sabbatical from K-State. The tool itself would be utilized to minimize disruptive changes to the user experience of machine learning-based software systems as the product is refined and retrained over time. She explained the issue with an example of a search engine tool being retrained to provide superior automated results but, in the process, losing some of the results the end user expects to see. “The broad objective of the project is to automatically characterize how much two versions of machine learning-based systems are similar or different,” Prabhakar said.

     

  • Indian American Nabeela Syed makes history as youngest member of Illinois House

    Indian American Nabeela Syed makes history as youngest member of Illinois House

    ILLINOIS (TIP): Nabeela Syed, a 23-year-old Indian-American Muslim woman, has made history by becoming the youngest person to win a House seat in Illinois. Syed, a Democrat, also becomes the first South Asian in the state legislature.

    In winning the 51st House district in the Nov 8 midterm elections, Syed also flipped Republican-held suburban district defeating incumbent Chris Bos. An elated Syed took to Twitter to share her happiness over her election.

    “My name is Nabeela Syed. I’m a 23-year-old Muslim, Indian-American woman. We just flipped a Republican-held suburban district,” she tweeted noting, “I will be the youngest member of the Illinois General Assembly.”

    Syed contended that she won the election because she engaged in a conversation with people – to give them a reason to get involved in our democracy and hope for better leadership that represents their values.

    “When I announced for State Representative, I made it a mission to genuinely engage in conversation with people – to give them a reason to get involved in our democracy and hope for better leadership that represents their values.” she wrote on Instagram. “We won this race because we engaged in that conversation.”

    “We talked to seniors about the rising cost of prescription drugs. We talked to working families about the growing burden of property taxes. We talked to women, pledging that I would protect their right to reproductive healthcare. We spoke with parents about their desire to strengthen commonsense gun safety laws,” Syed wrote.

    “We won this race because the people of the 51st District want a representative who is ready to fight for them and their families. I knocked on every door in this district. Tomorrow, I start knocking them again to thank them for placing their trust in me. I’m ready to get to work,” she added. Born and raised in Illinois, Syed graduated from the University of California with a degree in Political Science and Business and served as the president of a pro-bono consulting organization that helped local businesses.

    She currently works for a non-profit, helping them in digital strategy and supporting a myriad of civic engagement initiatives such as mobilizing voters, curbing sexual assault on college campuses, and enhancing gender equity, according to her official website.

    She is also active in her religious community at the Islamic Society of Northwest Suburbs and advocates interfaith dialogue and aims to empower young Muslim women to lead, according to her website.

     

  • Indian American candidate Vibhuti Jha apologizes to Muslims for his tweet

    Indian American candidate Vibhuti Jha apologizes to Muslims for his tweet

    NEW YORK (TIP): An Indian American Republican candidate, who is contesting for the upcoming general election for the New York State Assembly District 16, has apologized for a tweet targeting the Muslim community, saying his intent was never to hurt anyone.

    Vibhuti Jha, 70, who has now deleted the tweet, is running against Democrat Gina Sillitti for the New York State Assembly District 16 elections to be held on Tuesday. “I deleted a tweet that appeared several months ago forwarded by someone to me! I believe some of the Muslim groups were unhappy about the content & comparison made therein. The joke didn’t go down well. I confirm the intent was never to hurt anyone,” Jha tweeted last week. “I want to add I have very good Muslim friends; we share mutual respect and share jokes and laughter in these difficult times. Friendship is all about sharing joy, anger and move life forward. We must face our challenges together,” he said. According to his LinkedIn profile, Jha is the Managing Director of New York-based financial services firm Global Capital Service Group. He is also the co-founder of Relaxxapp, a mind and body fitness app. New York’s 16th State Assembly district is one of the 150 districts in the New York State Assembly. It has been represented by Sillitti since 2021. District 16 is in Nassau County within the town of North Hempstead. The district includes the villages of Great Neck, North Hills, East Hills, Flower Hill, Old Westbury, Roslyn Estates, and Lake Success, as well as the hamlets of Roslyn Heights, Port Washington and Herricks.

  • Aruna Miller is the first Indian American to win Maryland Lieutenant Governor

    Aruna Miller is the first Indian American to win Maryland Lieutenant Governor

    WASHINGTON, D.C. (TIP): Aruna Miller on Tuesday, November 8, scripted history by becoming the first Indian American politician to win the race of Lieutenant Governor in the state of Maryland, adjoining the US capital. Miller, 58, a former delegate to the Maryland House, was on the Lieutenant Governor ticket along with Wes Moore — the Democratic Governor elect. The Lieutenant Governor is the state’s highest official following the Governor and assumes the role when the Governor is out of state or incapacitated. The Lieutenant Governor also becomes the Governor should the Governor die, resign or be removed from office. Soon after the polling closed on Tuesday evening, Moore and Miller were declared elected against their Republican challengers.

    Both President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris had campaigned in favor of Moore and Miller. In winning the Lieutenant Governor race in Maryland, Miller overcame a last-minute stiff opposition from her distracters who accused her of courting Hindu nationalists, a charge she denied. In fact, her popularity among Indian Americans in Maryland is bipartisan. Some of the top Trump and Republican supporters came out in support of her and raised funds. Prominent among them include Jasdip Singh Jassee.

  • Diwali Celebrations in Guatemala and Honduras

    GUATEMALA CITY/NEW YORK (TIP): Guatemala and Honduras had an eventful and colorful last week as the Embassy of India in Guatemala organized grand-scale, first-of-its-kind Diwali celebrations in Honduras and Guatemalan and ended a week with Unity Bicycle Rally as a part of Rashtriya Ekta Diwas on the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. Diwali celebrations started on 27 October in Honduras, where, in the presence of more than 80 dignitaries, including Representatives of the Honduran Government, Members of the Diplomatic Corps, Indian Community members, ITEC alumni, Yoga lovers & Friends of India, Mission organized the first-ever Diwali Celebrations with the lighting of Diyas, an incredible firecrackers show & delicious Indian food.

    Continuing with Diwali Celebrations, Mission participated in Diwali Celebrations organized at Brahmakumaris Guatemala on 29 October. The large-scale participation of the local Guatemalan community, along with Indian community members, was the highlight of the celebrations. Hundreds of traditional diyas and a firecracker show lit the atmosphere. And celebrations ended with traditional Garba dance & delicious Indian food. The main Diwali celebrations were held on 30 October at the Embassy’s premises in the presence of more than 150 people, including Hon’ble Minister of Education, Ms Claudia Ruiz, Vice Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Ms Ava Atzum Arevalo and Vice Minister of Economy, Mr Fernando Escalante, Diplomatic corps, Indian community members and friends of India. The celebrations started with a Cultural programme by the Indian community with Indian dance and Music. The people were mesmerized by the lighting of diyas and an hour-long firecracker show and had a taste of Indian food.

    The eventful week ended on a solid note with the organization of Unity Bicycle Rally on 30 October as a part of Rashtriya Ekta Diwas on the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel where Indian community members participated in the rally and paid tribute to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel for his immense contribution for uniting India. After Diwali Celebrations in Guatemala and Honduras, Embassy in collaboration with Foreign Ministry of El Salvador is organizing first-ever grand Diwali celebrations in San Salvador on 10 November with the participation of hon’ble Foreign Minister of El Salvador, officials from Salvador government, Indian community, ITEC alumni and friends of India. In continuation of International Day of Yoga and Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav celebrations, on 12 November, Embassy is also organizing a grand Yoga Festival with the participation of more than 3000 Guatemalans in Guatemala City.

  • A renewed momentum in India-US bilateral ties: Ambassador Sandhu

    A renewed momentum in India-US bilateral ties: Ambassador Sandhu

    WASHINGTON, D.C. (TIP): There is a renewed momentum in the India-US relationship, New Delhi’s top envoy to the United States told a think-tank here, observing that the strategic partnership between the two sides has deepened and the overall bilateral partnership broadened. He said the continuous high-level political engagements between India and the US signals bipartisan support on both sides for further deepening the partnership. “One of our ministers, the other day, spoke about the sunrise moment in our bilateral relations. Sunrise is beautiful, it is promising and brings with it a lot of positive energy. We are in such a moment, in our bilateral partnership,” India’s Ambassador to US Taranjit Singh Sandhu said. “However, if we are complacent, that moment is going to pass. It will not wait for us. We need to seize the moment,” he said at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace think-tank.

    In a conversation with Ashley Tellis for a discussion examining these global developments and the future of the relationship between the United States and India, Sandhu said a lot has happened “undoubtedly” between the two countries.

    “I have two points to make here. First, our strategic partnership has deepened. Second, our overall bilateral partnership has broadened. There is a renewed momentum in our bilateral ties,” he said. “If I ask my team to tell me, the number of times President Biden and PM Modi have met, in person and virtually, they hold up their hands! Same with EAM and Secretary Blinken and other ministers too. This is precisely how things are between friends!” Sandhu said.

    He said the deepening of the strategic and defense ties on the bilateral front has been significant. Signing of foundational agreements on defense (LEMOA; COMCASA; ISA; BECA). For the first time, a US Ship was repaired in an Indian shipyard. An Indian Ship visited a US port in August, which was also a historical first, the Ambassador said. “We are also actively joining hands in some of the plurilateral platforms. Of course, the Quad has taken off in a big way,” he said, adding that Quad nations are going beyond the G-to-G format. For example, the Quad Investors’ Network has been announced, Sandhu said. He said India has become a member of the US-led Indo-Pacific Economic Framework. “We are also working closely under I2U2,” he told the think-tank. There are also some new domains of the partnership, he said. “So widening of the baskets, so to speak. health; energy; tech; space; Education etc. etc.” NASA and ISRO are working on interesting stuff such as helio-physics (to study the sun), human space flight programme, and on NISAR – the RADAR, which will help us better monitor the implications of climate change, Sandhu said.

    “We are working closely on counter ransomware, cyber security, advanced telecommunications, 5G and ORAN. We announced a new Initiative for Critical and Emerging Technologies-iCET- in May this year. We resolved decades-old market access issues of some agricultural products at the TPF last year,” he said.

    “You are all well aware of the Covid vaccine partnership. Notwithstanding all the debates, about India’s energy imports, India-US energy partnership is thriving, and touching new areas, such as green hydrogen,” he added. After the announcement of the National Education Policy, we are looking at new ways of collaboration between Indian and US universities, Sandhu said.

    “We just had the launch of the India-US CEO Forum yesterday. (Treasury) Secretary (Janet) Yellen is currently in Delhi for the Economic and Financial Partnership Dialogue,” he said.

  • STELLAR ARTIST LINEUP HONORS NJPAC’S JAZZ FEST

    By Mabel Pais

    The New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) has an exciting artist line-up of the highly anticipated 11th annual TD James Moody Jazz Festival, November 2022. This year’s program offers events combining jazz luminaries in collaboration with artists known for R&B, poetry, hip hop, and much more.

     Here are some highlights:

    DEE DEE BRIDGEWATER AND SAVION GLOVER: NTERPRETATIONS

    Dee Dee Bridgewater with Savion Glover. Photo /njpac.org 

    DEE BRIDGEWATER, over the course of a multifaceted career spanning four decades, Grammy and Tony Award-winning Jazz giant Dee Dee Bridgewater has ascended to the upper echelon of vocalists, putting her unique spin on standards, as well as taking intrepid leaps of faith in re-envisioning jazz classics. Ever the fearless voyager, explorer, pioneer and keeper of tradition, the three-time Grammy-winner most recently won the Grammy for Best Jazz Vocal Album for Eleanora Fagan (1915-1959): To Billie With Love From Dee Dee. Bridgewater’s career has always bridged musical genres. She earned her first professional experience as a member of the legendary Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Big Band, and throughout the 70’s she performed with such jazz notables as Max Roach, Sonny Rollins, Dexter Gordon and Dizzy Gillespie. After a foray into the pop world during the 1980s, she relocated to Paris and began to turn her attention back to Jazz.

    As a Goodwill Ambassador to the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Bridgewater continues to appeal for international solidarity to finance global grassroots projects in the fight against world hunger. In April 2017 was the recipient of an NEA Jazz Masters Fellows Award with honors bestowed at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. In December 2017, Bridgewater was presented with the ASCAP Foundation Champions award acknowledging her charitable contributions. In 2018, Bridgewater received the prestigious Doris Duke Artist Award. 2019 brought her induction in the Memphis Music Hall of Fame in recognition of her contributions to music and in celebration of her latest CD, “Memphis, Yes…I’m Ready.” That same year, Bridgewater launched The Woodshed Network, a non-profit partnership with 651 Arts created to mentor, connect, support, and educate women in Jazz. Bridgewater serves as Artistic Director, along with Associate Artistic Director and Program Curator Tulani Bridgewater-Kowalski with lead support by The Doris Duke Charitable Foundation.

    The Dee Dee Bridgewater Big Band is a swinging all-women Big Band in the spirit of the ‘International Sweethearts of Rhythm’ and drawing on Dee Dee’s time with the ‘Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra.’ Incorporating alumnae of The Woodshed Network, Bridgewater’s non-profit program for self-identifying women in jazz, audiences should prepare to hold on to their seats. Bridgewater is “bringing it” with all the energy, dynamism and joy fans have come to expect from the legendary polymath.

    Connect with Dee Online:

    www.DeeDeeBridgewater.com

    Facebook & Instagram @deedeebridgewater

    Twitter @ddbprods

    SAVION GLOVER is a Tony Award-winning choreographer and legendary hoofer, whose career has spanned nearly four decades. He began his Broadway stage career as The Tap Dance Kid, and continued with Black and Blue, Jelly’s Last Jam and his award-winning Bring in da Noise, Bring in da Funk, which garnered him a Tony Award for Best Choreography. He has performed worldwide with jazz legends including McCoy Tyner, Roy Haynes and Jack DeJohnette.

    Film credits include Tap, starring Gregory Hines and Sammy Davis, Jr.; Spike Lee’s Bamboozled and George Miller’s Happy Feet and Happy Feet Two. Serving as dance advisor for NJPAC and as a member of its board of directors, he is dedicated to furthering arts education programming with Summer Intensives, established to help youth explore artistic expression.

    This event takes place on November 12.

     NJMEA ALL-STATE JAZZ BAND AND CHOIR TEAM UP WITH SPECIAL GUEST

    Catch the next generation of great jazz artists from New Jersey. This annual concert event, co-presented by NJPAC’s Arts Education Department and the New Jersey Music Educators Association, brings together some of the very best young musicians and vocalists from across the state for a dynamic group performance. The NJMEA All-State Jazz Band and NJMEA All-State Jazz Choir will be joined by special guest Christian McBride—NJPAC Jazz Advisor and acclaimed jazz bassist, bandleader and composer.

    This event happens on November 18.

    REPRESENT: A NIGHT OF JAZZ,

    HIP HOP & SPOKEN WORD

    Christian McBride: Musical Director

    Performer: Major Ras Baraka

    For one not-to-miss night, NJPAC unites the leading voices in jazz, hip hop and poetry.

    The legendary lineup includes hip hop stars Black Thought (The Roots), Rakim (Paid in Full), Speech (Arrested Development), Chuck D (Public Enemy), Dupre ‘Doitall’ Kelly (Lords of the Underground) award-winning poets and spoken word performers Nikki Giovanni, jessica Care moore, Mayor Ras Baraka, and The Last Poets (Abiodun Oyewole, Umar Bin Hassan, and Babadon Babatunde), Sean Battle and Treasure Borde (EvoluCulture); Saxophonists Javon Jackson and Ravi Coltrane, Musical Director (and NJPAC Jazz Advisor) Christian McBride and A Christian McBride Situation; Blaring horns and baring souls, these masterful artists exclaim their vision of justice, change, and joy. This performance is a presentation of City Verses: ‘Amplifying New Voices through Jazz and Poetry,’ a unique joint-initiative of NJPAC and Rutgers-Newark’s which celebrates the rich historical connection between jazz and poetry, creates opportunities for public engagement, strengthens community ties through the arts, amplifies the authentic voices of the people of Greater Newark, and engages a new generation of poets, jazz musicians and teaching artists.

    Who’s up next!

    Right after the show, join the artists for music and poetry! Witness history in the making when you experience UP NEXT, a showcase of the next generation of poets, followed by DJ Storm Norm the General on the ones and twos, hosted by Ms Jones from 94.7 The Block.

     This event happens on November 19.

    SARAH VAUGHAN INTERNATIONAL ANNUAL JAZZ VOCAL COMPETITION

    Sarah Vaughan. Photo /njpac.org

    The divine Sarah Vaughan—Newark’s greatest musical gift to the world—got her start as the winner of a talent contest. NJPAC honors her legacy every year with The Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition. Now entering its second decade, “The SASSY Awards” is the only international jazz vocal competition of its kind, open to all genders. At this public performance, you’ll witness the next generation of powerhouse jazz vocalists ready to take their rightful place in the global spotlight.

    The event is hosted by WBGO ‘Morning Jazz’ host Gary Walker. NJPAC’s panel of all-star judges includes Regina Carter, Christian McBride, T.S. Monk, Pat Prescott and Maria Schneider. Contestants are evaluated on vocal quality, musicality, technique, performance, individuality, artistic interpretation and ability to swing. The winner receives a $5,000 cash prize and a one-of-a-kind platform for embarking on a career in the music business.

    With Black Thought, Rakim, Speech, Chuck D, Dupre ‘Doitall’ Kelly, Nikki Giovanni, jessica Care moore, Javon Jackson, Ravi Coltrane, Mayor Ras Baraka, The Last Poets, Sean Battle, Treasure Borde, and A Christian McBride Situation.

    This event takes place on November 20.

    TICKETS

    For more information on each event and tickets, visit njpac.org/tickets-events

    (Mabel Pais writes on The Arts and Entertainment, Social Issues, Health & Wellness, Cuisine and Spirituality)

  • Ayurveda Day Celebrated

    Ayurveda Day Celebrated

    NEW YORK (TIP): World Ayurveda Day this year was on Dhanvantri Jayanti, October 23rd. To commemorate this day, leading Ayurvedic organizations collaborated on an engaging virtual program that included distinguished guests from US and overseas followed by a robust panel discussion on Ayurveda for Global Health Care. The event was a joint effort of the American Association of Ayurvedic Professionals (AAAP-USA), Global Council for Ayurveda Research (GCAR-USA), National Credentialing and Certification Board for Ayurvedic Medicine (NCCBAM-USA) and was supported by the Ayurvidya Anusandhan Abhiyan Foundation (AAAF-INDIA). The mission, purpose and goals of these organizations were shared by Dr Vivek Shanbhag, President of AAAP-USA, Dr Pratibha Shah, Founder President of GCAR-USA and Dr. Somesh Kaushik, President of NCCBAM-USA. The first half of the program featured dignitaries and was moderated by event coordinator, Dr. Renee Mehrra, well known broadcaster, community activist and ambassador of Ayurveda and Yoga. In his message, Dr. Rajesh Kotecha, Secretary, Ministry of AYUSH, Government of India complimented the organizers for their commitment and dedication in celebrating Ayurveda Day. He added that there was an increased global acceptance and awareness of Ayurveda, and wewere witnessing a highly receptive environment for Ayurveda’s holistic health care approach. He pointed out that as the world gravitates towards holistic wellbeing, all eyes are on India as the leading global healing destination.

    Honorable Consul Vipul Dev, Consul for Press, Information and Culture, Consulate General of India in New York underscored the importance of Ayurveda which is not only holistic but also brings a radical departure in our entire thinking as to how we see healthcare and puts the human being in the center of this conversation. For the past few years, the Government of India has put a lot of momentum and energy to research in Ayurveda, and the Global Center for Traditional Medicine in Jamnagar, Gujarat is a big milestone in bringing Ayurveda closer to the modern ways of conducting research. Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi who represents Illinois’ 8th congressional district spokeabout the contribution of ayurvedic medicine especially during the pandemic, and how the combination of body, mind and spirit is essential to curing what ails us. He further said that there is a growing recognition that these traditional forms of medicine have a place in the general health care system and, the WHO’s Global Center for Traditional Medicine in India would help to harness the power of science to strengthen the evidence base for traditional medicine.

    Dr. Tanuja Nesari, Director of the All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA), and CEO of the National Medicinal Plant Board under the Ministry of AYUSH was happy to note that 26 ministries in India participated in Ayurveda Day celebrations. There were over 10,000 programs with 8 million people and 25 million people officially expressed their support to Ayurveda through the website www.ayurveda.

    In his remarks, Dr. Ravi Kolli, President of the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) commented that Ayurveda has a lot to contribute to the global health care and wellness movement. By integrating the ancient knowledge and wisdom and the scientific basis of its practices and prescriptions, and integrating it with western medicine, we could achieve the goal of improving health outcomes of a vast number of populations who do not have any access to their critical health care needs. He further added that Ayurveda will be the next big contribution from India to humanity just like Yoga and Meditation has been in recent times.

    Dr. Geetha Krishnan, Technical Officer for Traditional Medicine with the World Health Organization talked about the inclusion of Ayurvedic herbs in the pharmacopeia published by WHO on herbal medicine. In his presentation, Dr. Shuvendu Sen, Vice Chair for Research at the Jersey Shore UniversityMedical Center talked about the trajectory of Traditional Medicine from alternative to complementary to integrative and now embraced by modern medicine.

    Mr. Bobby Kumar Kalotee, International Chairman for Friends for Good Health expressed his close affinity to Ayurveda and Homeopathy and shared his experience of growing in a village inIndia where there was no hospital close by and people lived a holistic long life in tune with nature. The second part of this inspirational program was a Panel Discussion moderated by Chair of theevent, Vaidya Pratibha Shah (MD in Ayurveda, MPH, USA) on Ayurveda for Global Healthcare. This was a collective of Ayurvedic medicine experts from different countries including Prof. Madan Thangavelu, Genome Biologist, Research Director, UK; Vaidya Harish Sharma, Ayurvedacharya, Teacher, Author, Canada; Dr. Trupti Gokani, Integrative MD, Pain Specialist, Author & Yogini, USA; Diane Finlayson, Maryland University of Integrative Health, USA; Dr.Nina Silva, Professor/Researcher at the Faculty of Pharmacy/UFRJ; and Mamta Landerman, Clinical Ayurveda and Panchakarma, USA. The program concluded with vote of thanks by Dr. Somesh Kaushik, President of NCCBAM.

    (Press release issued by Dr. Renee Mehrra. She can be reached at reneemehrra@mail.com

  • Shikshayatan Cultural Center celebrates 34th Anniversary and Diwali

    NEW YORK (TIP): Shikshayatan Cultural Center, a well-known educational and cultural organization celebrated its 34th Anniversary and Diwali on October 29, with great audience, artists, students, and dedicated volunteers under the leadership of Smt. Purnima A. Desai Founder/President/Director. The performances by local New York and N.J. top artists were truly memorable and soul-stirring. The program started with Garba dance by a few enthusiastic community leaders and participants. Garba was accompanied by live singing and music by vocalists Ghanshyam Josh, Virendra Banker, Kirti Shukla and Neela Gordia. Shikshayatan’s students recited opening prayers – Sanskrit shlokas and Hindi dohas with confidence. Pihu & Parth Gathuria and Sonali Saxena Shikshayatan students also sang two devotional songs. Child artists Angel Shah and Avantika Shah’s dance performances were especially attractive and worthy of praise. Pandit Prakaash Latchminarine performed Classical and Light Music in his melodious voice. Internationally renowned vocalist Biplab Mukherjee gave a splendid performance accompanied by renowned harmonium player Anirban Chakraborty and accomplished table player Rabi Shankar Bhattacharya. Popular vocalist and Guitarist Suresh Ketwaroe sang famous film songs. Chorus singing by Flora Parekh and Tejal Desai “Hum honge kaamyaab” lifter the spirit of the audience. Tejal Desai sang a solo song “ghoonghat ki aad se” accompanied by Suresh ji on guitar and Rabi ji on table. Founder/President Mrs. Purnima Desai sang two devotional songs written by her. The second half of the show kicked off by Anuron Chakraborty, a young male Kathak dancer’s energetic performance. Rhythm spec Artists- a group of eighteen professional artists stole the show with their melodious voices and professional andaaz. A bouquet of roses was presented to the organizer and President Mrs. Purnima Desai by Mr. Rohit Pandya. Purnima ji thanked all the supporters specially the community leaders Surindra Kathuria of Hindu Center, Gopi Udeshi, Devendra Vora, Pankaj Devashreye, Anuradha Khanna, Malini Shah and many important guests for their time. Appreciation and Recognition awards as shawls and trophies were presented to all those deserving participants by Consul (HOC) Smt. Suman Singh from Consulate General’s office. All participants and the audience cherished the hot dinner (Prasad).

    (Report by Purnima A. Desai. She can be reached at 646-472-9255

  • Twitter chaos deepens as key executives quit

    Twitter chaos deepens as key executives quit

    SAN FRANCISCO (TIP): Twitter chief security officer Lea Kissner along with other key privacy or security executives step down Elon Musk’s ownership of Twitter descended ever deeper into chaos on Thursday, November 10, as key security executives resigned from the platform, drawing a sharp warning from U.S. regulators. The walkouts came a day after the turbulent launch of new features introduced by Tesla and SpaceX owner Musk following his $44 billion buyout of the influential messaging app. Musk on Thursday, November 10, warned employees that the site was burning dangerously through cash, raising the specter of bankruptcy if the situation was not turned around.

    “I’ve made the hard decision to leave Twitter,” tweeted chief security officer Lea Kissner, who reportedly stepped down with other key privacy or security executives. In the most extraordinary exit, U.S. media reported that Yoel Roth, the site’s head of trust and safety stepped down just a day after staunchly defending Musk’s content moderation policy to advertisers.

    The convulsions followed the unveiling of the site’s long-awaited Twitter Blue subscription service, which allows users to pay $7.99 per month for a coveted blue tick, as well as a separate gray “official” badge for some high-profile accounts.But the release descended into tumult on Wednesday when Musk scrapped the new gray label almost immediately, overshadowing the launch of the pay service, which is currently only available on the mobile app on iPhones and in the United States.The launch also saw the emergence of a flurry of fake accounts as users used the opportunity to impersonate celebrities and politicians such as NBA star LeBron James or former British prime minister Tony Blair. Early media reports also said Robin Wheeler, who held a key role linking Twitter with advertisers and was considered a key Musk ally inside the company, was leaving but late Thursday she tweeted: “I’m still here.”

    ‘’Deep concern,’ says Federal Trade Commission

    The chaos drew a rare warning from the Federal Trade Commission, the US authority that oversees consumer safety which had put Twitter under watch for past security and privacy breaches. “We are tracking recent developments at Twitter with deep concern,” a spokesperson for the FTC said in a statement. “No CEO or company is above the law, and companies must follow our consent decrees,” the spokesperson added, referring to past commitments by Twitter to obey U.S. privacy rules. Violating FTC decisions could cost Twitter millions of dollars in fines. The 51-year-old entrepreneur fired half of the 7,500 employees of the California company a week ago, 10 days after buying the site and becoming its sole owner. For the first time since the layoffs, Musk on Thursday addressed his remaining employees and urged them to help the site reach one billion users, according to employee text messages seen by AFP.

    Musk also warned that the company was bleeding cash and expressed fear about the effects of the poor economy on his newly bought business. “You may have noticed I sold a bunch of Tesla stock. The reason I did that is to save Twitter,” he is reported to have said.

    Wedbush analyst Dan Ives meanwhile warned that the Twitter episode could have serious repercussions for electric car manufacturer Tesla. “Brand destruction is our biggest worry with this Twitter circus show. It’s that simple and I can’t ignore it for Tesla stock,” Ives wrote on the site. Twitter is also crippled by the decision of advertisers to stay away from the platform, concerned about Musk’s plans. The tycoon announced he was ending work-from-home policies at Twitter, which had been a widespread practice at the San Francisco-based company. “If you don’t show up at the office, resignation accepted,” he told employees.

  • Biden, Modi have productive, very practical relationship: US NSA

    Biden, Modi have productive, very practical relationship: US NSA

    WASHINGTON, D.C. (TIP): US President Joe Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi have a productive and very practical relationship, the American national security advisor has said ahead of the bilateral between the two leaders on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in Bali, Indonesia. “I would point out Prime Minister Modi has already been to the White House since President Biden took office, and the two of them have had the opportunity to meet in person multiple times and to talk by phone and on video multiple times,” US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan told reporters at the White House on Thursday.

    He said the two leaders see common interests on a number of critical issues and have really worked together to strengthen the US-India partnership. “When you add all that up, it is a productive, very practical relationship,” Sullivan added. “President Biden is looking forward to seeing Prime Minister Modi at the G20 this year, as we look ahead to the next year,” he said. India will hold the presidency of the G20 next year and there is a possibility of a US presidential visit to the country. “President Biden certainly intends to be a participant in that G20. I don’t have anything to announce about visits prior to that, to India, or visits to the White House,” Sullivan said.

    (Source: PTI)

  • November 11 New York & Dallas E – Edition

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    [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_custom_heading text=”Dual Edition” font_container=”tag:h2|text_align:center” google_fonts=”font_family:Istok%20Web%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:700%20bold%20regular%3A700%3Anormal” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theindianpanorama.news%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2022%2F11%2FTIP-November-11-Dual-Edition.pdf”][vc_single_image image=”132959″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center” onclick=”custom_link” link=”https://www.theindianpanorama.news/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/TIP-November-11-Dual-Edition.pdf”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”82828″ img_size=”medium” alignment=”center” onclick=”custom_link” link=”https://www.theindianpanorama.news/advertising-media-kit-portal-indian-panorama/”][vc_single_image image=”82829″ img_size=”medium” alignment=”center” onclick=”custom_link” link=”https://www.theindianpanorama.news/advertising-media-kit-portal-indian-panorama/”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=”Lead Stories This Week” font_container=”tag:h2|text_align:center” google_fonts=”font_family:Istok%20Web%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:700%20bold%20regular%3A700%3Anormal” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theindianpanorama.news%2F”][vc_wp_posts number=”8″ show_date=”1″][/vc_column][/vc_row]

  • Foods to boost your skin’s collagen production

    Diet plays a huge role in maintaining the youthfulness of your skin and that comes down to how much collagen your body is producing. It is the protein that provides the skin with its structure, suppleness and stretch. As we age, we produce less collagen in our skin that causes wrinkles and thinning of skin. There has been a boom of collagen supplements in the form of pills and powders, but it is not the best route to boost your skin’s collagen production. The key difference is that food contains a bioavailable form of collagen your body can use right away. Moreover, over-the-counter supplements are largely unregulated. So, here are top seven foods that improve your skin’s collagen:

    Bone Broth

    Bone Broth is one of the most popular sources of collagen. Cooked by simmering animal bones in water, this process extracts the collagen from the bones. You can even season the broth with spices. The broth is made of bones and connective tissue so it contains calcium, collagen, magnesium, phosphorus, amino acid and many other nutrients. To take care of the quality of your broth, make sure to buy meat from a reputable source.

    Chicken

    The white meat contains connective tissues which are a rich source of dietary collagen, no wonder so many supplements are derived from chicken. Several studies have shown that the chicken’s neck and cartilage is a source of collagen for arthritis treatment.

    Fish and shellfish

    Like other meats, fish and shellfish have bones and ligaments made of collagen. It is claimed that marine collagen is one of the most easily absorbed. However, we do not tend to consume the less desirable parts of the fish that contain more collagen such as the head and scales. In fact, researchers have proven that fish skin is a source of collagen peptides.

    Egg whites

    Eggs do not contain connective tissues like many other animal products, but have large amounts of proline, one of the three amino acids important for collagen production.

    Citrus fruits

    Vitamin C plays a prominent role in the production of pro-collagen, the body’s precursor to collagen. Citrus fruits like oranges, grapefruit, lemons and limes are full of this vitamin. You must include a citrus fruit to your diet on a daily basis. You can do this by adding them to your cereals or salads.

                     Source: Herzindagi

  • US visa processing time to fall by mid-2023

    US visa processing time to fall by mid-2023

    NEW DELHI (TIP): The waiting period for US visas is expected to see a significant fall by summer of 2023 and the number of visa applications is projected to reach around 1.2 million, a senior official of the US embassy said on Thursday. The processing time for nearly all categories of US visas is among the highest in India, with B1 and B2 visa applicants have to wait for 925 days as against just two days for Beijing and 44 days for Tokyo. At a special briefing to clear the air on the matter, the official said 82,000 student visas for India had already been issued this year and the next priority was to reduce the waiting time for non-immigrant work visas in the H and L categories, including H-1B, B-1, B-2 and visas for crews of shipping companies and airlines. H-1B visa holders in the US, who want to visit India for family reunions, will get special attention. As per the official, the visa-issuing Bureau of Consular Affairs was hit hard by Covid, affecting its operations and income.

  • Centre releases over Rs 1.16 lakh-crore tax devolution to states to accelerate capex

    Centre releases over Rs 1.16 lakh-crore tax devolution to states to accelerate capex

    New Delhi (TIP)- The Union government on Thursday, November 10,  released two instalments of tax devolution totalling over Rs 1.16 lakh crore to states to help accelerate their capital expenditure and welfare activities. “The Union government has released two instalments of tax devolution to state governments amounting to Rs 1,16,665 crore today (Thursday), as against normal monthly devolution of Rs 58,333 crore,” the Union finance ministry said in a statement on Thursday. “This is in line with the commitment of Government of India to strengthen the hands of States to accelerate their capital and developmental expenditure.”

    At the time when advanced economies are slowing down due to adverse geopolitical developments due to the Ukraine war and resorting to raising interest rates to calm unprecedented jump in inflation rates, the Indian economy is growing at a faster pace and government is making all efforts to keep it up, an official aware of the development said.

    “The Centre quickly transfers money to states from the tax kitty so that they can accelerate pace of public expenditures – both in capex and developmental works,” the official said, requesting anonymity. “There is no delay, in fact, we are releasing money in advance.”

    Money has been given upfront to the states so that they can frontload their capital expenditure and give infrastructure push that would propel the economic growth, the official added.

    Notwithstanding global headwinds, the Indian economy is strong compared to other countries on the back of government’s three-pronged strategy — judicious mix of demand and supply side actions; timely, targeted and impact-oriented welfare measures; and an upthrust to public spending while balancing growth-inflation dynamics. Inflation in India is relatively low compared to other countries, including advanced economies (AEs). The Indian economy is also expanding faster compared to AEs.

    Public expenditure, particularly capital investments, has been aggressively pursued for its multiplier effect on the economy. While the return on Rs 1 spent for revenue expenditure is only 45 paise, the same amount spent on infrastructure gets a return of Rs 2.45 in the first year and Rs 3.14, and Rs 3.25 in subsequent years, the official said. In order to have a multiplier impact of capex, the 2022-23 Union Budget raised capital expenditure by 35.4% to Rs 7.50 lakh crore in the current financial year from Rs 5.54 lakh crore in 2021-22.

    Referring to the enhanced capital expenditure in 2022-23, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman in her budget speech on February 1 had said: “With this investment taken together with the provision made for creation of capital assets through Grants-in-Aid to States, the ‘Effective Capital Expenditure’ of the Central Government is estimated at Rs 10.68 lakh crore in 2022-23, which will be about 4.1% of GDP (gross domestic product).”      Source: HT

  • Ram Setu national heritage tag: SC gives Centre time to respond to PIL

    Ram Setu national heritage tag: SC gives Centre time to respond to PIL

    New Delhi (TIP)- The Supereme Court on Thursday , November 10 allowed the Centre more time to submit its written response to a plea to declare the Ram Setu a national heritage monument even as it questioned the delay. “Why are you dragging your feet?” Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud asked the Centre’s counsel as he sought time, saying the affidavit is ready but was awaiting the sanction from the relevant ministry. Rajya Sabha MP Subramanian Swamy, who filed the petition, pointed out to the bench, also comprising Justices Hima Kohli and J B Pardiwala, that the government was yet to file the affidavit despite many directions in the past. He said the matter has been going on since long but the government is not taking a stand. “They only have to say yes or no,” he added.

    Swamy had filed a PIL against the Centre’s Sethusamudram Canal project, initiated when the UPA-1 was in power at the Centre. The project envisaged creation of a 83-km-long deep water channel, linking Mannar with Palk Strait, by dredging and removing the limestone shoals that formed part of the Ram Setu. The SC had stayed the work for the project in 2007.

    In March 2018, the Union Shipping Ministry in an affidavit told the court that the government “does not want to implement” the proposed “alignment…considering” its “socio-economic disadvantages”.

    The affidavit added that “the Government of India intends to explore an alternative to the earlier alignment of Sethusamudram Ship Channel project without affecting or damaging the Adam’s bridge/Ram Sethu in the interest of the nation.”

  • Control of Congress hangs in balance with key contests still unresolved

    Control of Congress hangs in balance with key contests still unresolved

    WASHINGTON, D.C. (TIP): Who will control the Congress and capture the Senate is a question to which answer lieswith Arizona and Nevada. All eyes in the political world were trained on Friday, November 11, on Arizona and Nevada, where hundreds of thousands of uncounted votes held the key to control of the U. S. Senate three days after Americans cast their final ballots in midterm elections. Either Democrats or Republicans can capture a Senate majority by sweeping the contests in both states. A split, however, would transform a December 6 runoff Senate election in Georgia into a proxy battle for the chamber, which among other powers holds sway over President Joe Biden’s judicial appointments. Meanwhile, Republicans were slowly inching closer to wresting control of the House of Representatives from Mr. Biden’s Democrats, which would effectively give them veto power over his legislative agenda and allow them to launch a bevy of investigations into his administration.

    Republicans had secured at least 211 of the 218 House seats they need for a majority, Edison Research projected late on Thursday, while Democrats had won 197. That left 27 races yet to be determined, including a number of close contests. The Republican House leader, Kevin McCarthy, has already announced his intention to run for speaker if Republicans take over, an outcome he described as inevitable on Wednesday. Mr. Biden told reporters on Thursday he and Mr. McCarthy had spoken but said he had not yet abandoned hope that Democrats could still prevail in the House, despite the tough odds. “It’s still alive,” he said of their chances.

    The outcome of the Arizona and Nevada Senate races, where Democratic incumbents were trying to fend off Republican challengers, may not be known for days yet. Officials in both states have said it could take until next week to finish tallying uncounted mail ballots.

    No ‘red wave’

    Tuesday’s results fell far short of the sweeping “red wave” that Republicans had expected, despite Mr. Biden’s anemic approval ratings and deep voter frustration over near-unprecedented inflation. Democrats portrayed Republicans as extremist, pointing to the Supreme Court’s decision to eliminate a nationwide right to abortion and the hundreds of Republican nominees who promoted former President Donald Trump’s false claims that the 2020 election was fraudulent.

    Some of Trump’s most high-profile endorsed candidates lost pivotal races on Tuesday, marring his status as Republican kingmaker and leading several Republicans to blame his divisive brand for the party’s disappointing performance.

    The outcome may increase the chances that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who routed his Democratic challenger on Tuesday, opts to challenge Mr. Trump for the 2024 presidential nomination. While Trump has not officially launched a third White House campaign, the former president has strongly suggested he will do so and is planning a “special announcement” at his Florida club on Tuesday. Mr. Trump lambasted Mr. DeSantis in a statement on Thursday, taking credit for the governor’s political rise, while attacking critics on his social media site, Truth Social. Even a narrow Republican House majority would be able to demand concessions in exchange for votes on key issue such as raising the nation’s borrowing limit. But with few votes to spare, Mr. McCarthy might struggle to hold his caucus together – particularly the hard-right faction that is largely aligned with Trump and has little interest in compromise.

  • PM flags off south India’s first Vande Bharat Express in Bengaluru

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, November 11, flagged off the inaugural special of south India’s first Vande Bharat Express at Krantiveera Sangolli railway station here. The train connects Mysuru and Chennai via Bengaluru. The Prime Minister also flagged off the ‘Bharat Gaurav Kashi Darshan’ train, which is operated by Karnataka’s Muzrai Department, under the ‘Bharat Gaurav’ train policy of the railways. “It will fulfil the dream of numerous travellers intending to undertake Kashi Yatra,” according to the South Western Railway.

    The train offers an eight-day tour package at discounted rates for pilgrims. Official sources said the Karnataka government gives cash assistance of Rs 5,000 to the Kashi Vishwanath Yatra pilgrims. This train covers holy places, including Varanasi, Ayodhya and Prayagraj

  • Delhi vs Centre: SC refuses to ask Centre to respond to ‘political’ affidavit of AAP govt

    Delhi vs Centre: SC refuses to ask Centre to respond to ‘political’ affidavit of AAP govt

    New Delhi (TIP)- The Supreme Court on Friday, November 11,  refused to ask the Centre to respond to an affidavit filed by Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia levelling certain ‘political’ allegations against the Centre with regard to control over bureaucracy in the national capital. “We will not ask the Centre to file a response to this affidavit. We will deal with the constitutional issues. We will step back from the actual arena of conflict,” a Bench led by CJI DY Chandrachud said after Additional Solicitor General Sanjay Jain vehemently objected to filing of an affidavit on the ongoing political slugfest. “We will freeze the pleadings (filing of documents/affidavits) now and let the Constitution Bench take up the matter now. The opposite side (Centre) need not file a reply to the affidavit,” the Bench said. A five-judge Constitution Bench led by CJI Chandrachud is to take up the dispute on control over ‘services’ in the national capital on November 24, Jain pointed out. Other judges on the Bench are Justice MR Shah, Justice Krishna Murari, Justice Hima Kohli and Justice PS Narasimha. On behalf of the Delhi government, senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi submitted that it was necessary to show how bureaucrats were refusing to obey orders of the elected government and the administration was getting paralysed on the ground.

    The Constitution Bench is expected to make an authoritative pronouncement on the scope and ambit of legislative and executive powers of the Centre and the government of the NCT of Delhi with regard to control over the bureaucracy in the national capital.

    The Delhi government has challenged the validity of amended Government of NCT of Delhi Act, 2021, and Rule 13 of the Transaction of Business Rules, 1993, which allegedly gave more powers to Lieutenant Governor.

    This is the third round of litigation before the top court on the power tussle between Lt Governor of Delhi — appointed by the Centre — and the elected government led by AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal. The tussle between Delhi Lt Governor and the elected government of NCT has remained unresolved despite two earlier verdicts – one each by a Constitution Bench and a two-judge Bench of the Supreme Court. In July 2018, the top court had ruled that the Delhi Lt Governor of Delhi did not have independent decision-making powers. A five-judge Constitution Bench had said the L-G was generally bound to act on the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers, except on three subjects reserved for him or where he differs with the decision of the elected NCT government and decides to refer an issue to the President. All decisions of the NCT Council of Ministers have to be communicated to the L-G. However, such communication does not mean L-G’s concurrence is required, it said.

    On February 14, 2019, the court had delivered a split verdict on the issue of control of administrative services. A Bench of Justice AK Sikri and Justice Ashok Bhushan had different views as to who had powers to appoint and transfer officers of State Public Services under Entry 41, List II of the Constitution. In view of the split verdict, the issue of “services” was referred to a three-judge Bench.

                    Source: TNS

  • Info war can threaten stability: Rajnath

    Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said today that the country was facing new dimensions of threats, making it difficult to categorise these into internal and external ones. He was addressing officers of the armed forces and civil services at the convocation of the 60th course of National Defence College (NDC). “Terrorism, which is generally considered part of internal security, is now classified in the category of external security because the training, funding and arms support of such organisations is being carried out from outside the country,” said the minister. Rajnath called on international community to counter “grave” emerging security threats such as cyberattacks and information warfare. “Information war has the potential to threaten the political stability of a country. An organised use of social media and other online platforms is engineering the opinion of the masses,” he said.

                    Source: TNS

  • Money transfers between India-Singapore will soon be possible through UPI

    New Delhi (TIP)- India and Singapore are all set to link their respective fast payment systems, Unified Payments Interface (UPI) and PayNow, to enable easy fund transfers between the countries at the lowest possible cost, India’s High Commissioner in Singapore P Kumaran said. According to the news agency ANI, through this initiative, money can be transferred from India to Singapore using mobile phone numbers and from Singapore to India using UPI virtual payment addresses under the proposed linkage (VPA).

    Both countries’ central banks, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), will collaborate on the move. “Singapore wants to connect its PayNow with UPI and that project will finish sometime in the next few months when that happens anybody sitting in Singapore will be able to send money to their family members in India,” Kumaran said.

    PayNow is similar to RuPay, India’s own card payment network. It has linkages with other Asean countries, so India can be connected to those through Singapore if the UPI-PayNow link is maintained.

    “Most Indian tourists who come here do not have a RuPay card and even if they have it they might have the domestic RuPay card so it is a bit complicated. So in future, we see a lot of people leaning to digitalisation not carrying a lot of cash, not dependent on international credit cards which have very high fees,” the Indian High Commissioner further said. UPI-PayNow will benefit workers who come to Singapore for a brief period of time and typically sacrifice about 10% of the amount as bank fees for money transfers.

                    Source: HT

  • BJP names 160 for Gujarat poll; Morbi MLA dropped

    New Delhi (TIP)- The BJP on November 10 nannounced the first list of 160 candidates for the forthcoming elections to the 182-member Gujarat Assembly, dropping, among others, Morbi MLA Brajesh Merja. Merja is among the 38 sitting MLAs who have been dropped in the first list released by Union minister Bhupender Yadav. The party has repeated 69 sitting legislators. Yadav said the names of the 38 candidates were dropped after “having arrived at a consensus”. From Morbi, the BJP has fielded five-time MLA Kantilal Shivlal Amrutiya, who reportedly jumped into the Machchu river to save people following a bridge collapse that resulted into the death of 135 persons.

    Political observers believe the BJP may have turned the tide in the constituency by fielding Amrutiya, who lost to Congress’ Brijesh Merja in the 2017 elections. Merja had switched sides and won on a BJP ticket in the 2020 byelection. Gujarat will go to polls on December 1 and 5. The result will be out on December 8. The list also includes several Congress turncoats such as Hardik Patel from Viramgam and Bhagwan Barad from Talala. Barad, who is the Talala MLA, joined the BJP on Wednesday. Cricketer Ravindra Jadeja’s wife Rivaba Jadeja has been fielded from Jamnagar (North). Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupender Patel will contest from Ghatlodia. Opposition Congress has fielded Rajya Sabha member Amee Yagnik from the CM’s constituency. “Of the 160 nominees, 24 are from the Scheduled Tribe community, 13 are Scheduled Castes and 14 are women,” said Yadav, who announced the names in the presence of state BJP chief CR Patil, Union minister Mansukh Mandaviya and general secretary Tarun Chugh. The names were decided by the Central Election Committee (CEC) headed by party president JP Nadda, though Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah are said to have “discussed and scrutinised” each name.    Source: TNS

  • Daughter to donate kidney to ailing Lalu

    Ailing Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) patriarch Lalu Yadav’s Singapore-based daughter will donate a kidney to her father, a close family member said on Thursday, November 10. Yadav (74) returned last month from Singapore where he had gone for treatment of his kidney problems. The RJD president, who has been suffering from multiple health problems, has been advised a kidney transplant. His daughter Rohini Acharya, based in Singapore, has stepped in to give her father a new lease of life, a family member said. Yadav, currently in Delhi, is out on bail in a case related to fodder scam. He was hospitalised several times in Delhi and Ranchi. It is not clear where the transplant surgery would happen and when. Doctors at AIIMS, New Delhi, where he was treated earlier, said they were not aware of the development.